Female referees will not face cultural or religious restrictions, says chief
'You are here not because you are women, you are here because you are FIFA match officials'.
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AL RAYYAN, Qatar, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Female referees at the World Cup will not face restrictions based on cultural or religious grounds in matches involving conservative nations such as Iran, Saudi Arabia or Qatar, referees chief Pierluigi Collina said on Friday.
The Qatar World Cup, which begins on Sunday, will have female referees officiating at a men's World Cup for the first time.
Rwanda's Salima Mukansanga, Yamashita Yoshimi of Japan and Frenchwoman Stephanie Frappart along with three female assistant referees have been selected for the global showpiece event.
"It (presence of female referees) is something new, it's something that attracts attention, it attracts interest," Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, told reporters.
"For us, they are referees, they are match officials. This is the message I gave them. 'You are here not because you are women, you are here because you are FIFA match officials'.
